Self Defense
by justice-willcomtoyou
Summary: Artemis moves to Keystone City, Kansas and teaches a Self Defense class which Wally goes to to hit on women. Cute superhero fluffyness to ensue
1. Chapter 1

Artemis had been thinking for a while now that it had been time for a change, but this- Keystone City- was a bigger change from her beloved Gotham than she had been expecting. Gotham was all hustle and bustle and crime on every corner, this was Kansas.

She sighed, and picked up the last box on the curb and headed up the stairs to her new apartment building, which -compared to her old one in Gotham- was pretty nice. It had a large bedroom, with a closet big enough to store her chest full of bows and arrows and spare costumes. A kitchen with all the appliances and they even worked to her surprise as she clicked on the stove to heat up her tea kettle. She continued with her box to the living room where she deposited it on her green couch; Artemis retrieved her knife from where it was strapped to her ankle and tore into the box. At the top sat several frames photos of her and her mom, one from her high school graduation and one from her college graduation. Under that were the books that would sit on her last empty bookshelf on the opposite wall.

Artemis pulled out her phone and checked the time- 5:39- blinked up at her in white.

"Shit," she muttered as she ran back to the kitchen to kitchen to turn off the stove and grab the gym bag that sat on the floor next to the fridge where she'd dropped it when she came in the first time around. Her door slammed behind her as she exited the apartment and began running down the two flights of stairs and out of the building. The run to the gym was a short one, but her speed was hindered by the bag slapping against her side, she prayed that all of her gear was packed in there.

The gym was a large building with one side covered in floor to ceiling windows that looked in on the pool, the other side had small windows- most of which had the shades drawn. The front door was painted a dark blue, and one of the double doors was propped open. She slowed down as she entered the building, but failed to notice the tall ginger-haired gentleman who was standing inside the door. They fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs, her gym bag landing on his head.

Artemis lifted her head from where it lay on his chest and looked at him, her face scrunched and angry. "Wow asshole, who stands in front of a door?!"

"Who comes running into a building at top speed?" He retorted, his tone just as angry, and muffled by the bag. Artemis let out an angry huff and began extracting herself from him. The man however stayed on the ground, staring up at her as she righted herself. She had on an oversized green t-shirt splattered with white paint, a pair of white jean shorts, and a pair of old converse, but his eyes were focused on her face. Her face was tan, her eyes a stormy gray, tilted up at the ends, and blonde hair was cascading over her shoulders like blonde rain; she was beautiful. She stared down at him, anger evident on her face.

"Are you just going to lay there?"

"I'm quite fond of the view," he said, a smirk gracing his freckled face. Artemis let out another huff and left him there in search of the locker room, she pulled out her phone again- 5:52; she had eight minutes to get changed and find her class room. _Awesome._

She changed quickly into a pair of shorts and tank-top, leaving the socks on her feet, and pulled her hair into a messy bun, and crossed the hall to the open classroom where five people were already waiting. Four of them were women ranging from teens, to more her age, and then there was the fifth person. The man from the hallway. She stands in the doorway for a moment glaring at the back of his head before walking in and positioning herself on the floor at the front of the room. She cleared her throat and the, now eight, people turned to look at her.

She patted the floor beside her, indicating that they should join her, and gave them a pointed look. "My name is Artemis, I will be your instructor, and this is intro to self defense. I will teach you how to defend yourself, or the well-being of another from harm. Today we will start with some basics techniques, can I have a volunteer?" The ginger man smirked and raised his hand. She sighed, but nodded. "Okay, if everyone could just back up to the edge of the mat," Artemis said as she rose to her feet once more. The others followed suit, and backed away, only the man remained at the center.

"I'm Wally," he said as he stuck out his hand to her. She shook it once and took a defensive stance, her feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and her hands up protecting her face.

"Note my stance, my face is protected, my balance is centered." She looked over at Wally and gave him a sly smile, before continuing. "Knock me down." She ordered in her strong voice. He came at her with his fists raised, his arm shot out and she grabbed it, elbowed him in the face and swiped his feet from out from under him. He fell to the padded ground with a soft grunt.

Artemis smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "Now what did Wally do wrong?" She was about to call on the snickering tall raven haired boy when Wally grabbed her ankle and yanked her down to the mat. He straddled her in an instant, his body pressed against hers and his forearm pressed against her throat. She fumed under him; his face was inches from hers, a proud grin on his face.

Artemis lay there for a second assessing her situation, quickly she wrapped her legs up and around his waist and jabbed him in the ribs with her free hand. He relaxed his grip and she shifted their weight, rolling them so she was on top of him. She held his hands above his head and squeezed her thighs against his sides. She leaned down next to his ear, her breath hot, and uttered the four words: "I. Can. Kill. You." She then released him and jumped to her feet clapping her hands together.

"Alright then, pair up and take turns pretending to be the assailant. Be sure to keep yourself protected, and be prepared for anything," she shot a look at Wally who was still on his back on the ground staring up at the ceiling with a dazed expression on his face, "that they will throw at you. Now hop to it."

The raven haired boy padded over to Wally and knelt beside him. A wide grin was spreading over his handsome face.

"Not a word Dick," he muttered as he grabbed his outstretched hand and rose to his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Artemis give pointers to two women on the other side of the room. "She's something."

"Yeah, something that just wiped the floor with you."

"I was going easy on her!" He whined pushing at Dick's shoulder

"So you going to go easy on Prank or Blacksmith next time they start raising hell?" Dick whispered, still grinning from ear to ear.

"That's different and you know it. They're villains and she's-"

"What? Beautiful? Strong? Sexy?" They circled each other with their fists raised at the ready.

"Well yes, but I was simply going to go with 'not-evil'."

"You never know man, she could be the next big bady." They both looked over at helping up a woman who looked a little younger than her, both of them laughing. Dick took the distraction to reach out and punch him in the gut, and kick his feet from under him. He landed with an 'oof' and glared up at his friend.

Artemis glanced their way to see Wally on his back again and let out a soft laugh. She walked across the room to them and smiled down at him.

"So are you just terrible at self defense or do you just enjoy spending time on the floor?" Dick laughed and stuck his hand out to her.

"I'm Dick, and as his best friend I can assure you that he just enjoys spending time on the floor." Artemis shook his hand and glanced back down at Wally.

"I thought as much," she reached out her hand to him, which he took begrudgingly, and helped him back to his feet. "So is this your guys first class, or did you study under the last guy as well?"

"Roy," Wally mumbled,looking down at the blue mat.

"What?"

"Roy, the old teacher, he was a friend of ours," explained Dick

"Yeah, I know him; he's my sister's fiancé. That's how I got wrangled into this job. I just moved here so I agreed to take over for him."

"Have you seen much of Keystone yet?" Wally asked, rubbing at the back of his neck again nervously.

"I just finished moving in today, although I have been acquainted with the Chinese place already."

"Maybe Wally could how you around sometime." Artemis looked over at him, staring into his green eyes and smiled; her smile however, slowly faded when she heard the beeping sound of her communicator going off in her duffle bag. She hurried over to it and pulled it out, scanning the screen quickly.

"Alright class, everyone did great today! I'll see you next week." She grabbed her bag quickly and looked back over her shoulder at Wally and Dick when she reached the door. "I have to go now, but thank you." And then she was gone running through the hall hurriedly.

"She's a little odd." Wally smiled at his friend and nodded as he pulled on his right shoe. He reached into his left shoe and pulled out his own communicator and looked at the little screen; 'S.O.S. KEYSTONE BANK' shown up at him in angry red letters.

"Shit man, I got to go." Wally whispered harshly.

"Need any help?"

"I'll keep you posted," and then he jogged out of the classroom and out the back door of the gym.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you doing here?" She hissed from under her green hood, her bow positioned at the ready. Robbery in process, 5 hostages, 3 robbers, 1 bomb in the center of the room. She sat perched on the roof next to the bank, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And here comes Flash-boy out of nowhere to get in the way.

"This is my city Arrow." He retorted, his own face disguised under the red and yellow cowl.

"Yeah well this is my robbery Flash-boy."

"It's The Flash now, and you know it; you were there Arrow." Wally surveyed the scene below them and eyed the bomb. "Any idea how to defuse a pipe bomb blondie?"

"Yes. You cut the green wire."

"Yeah if you want it to explode; you need me here, because without me that things going to blow and take the lives of those innocent people." Artemis glared at him from behind her mask but nodded, and trained her arrow on the thug closest to the bomb.

"On my signal Flash, I'll take him out and you get in there and take care of the bomb."

"Agreed, on three?"

"One," she aimed her bow, "two," she took a deep breath, "three," she released. The arrow struck him right in shoulder of his left arm, and he was down. Flash was gone the second the arrow left her string, running down the fire-escape and vibrating through the wall of the bank, he kicks the down guy in the balls to make sure he stays and she allows herself a smile at that.

She notices the second thug emerging from the vault, gun first, before he does and fires off another arrow, hitting him in the upper thigh. Artemis keeps her eyes trained on the vault while Flash works; she only draws her eyes away when she hears his whoop of glee as the bomb fizzes out. She watches happily as he takes out the last guy with an elbow to the throat and a foot in the gut and helps the hostages out the front door.

And that's it.

That's her first day in Keystone City, slightly more exciting than she was expecting, but still no Gotham. She re-collapses her bow and places it in the quiver on her back and climbs down the eight story fire-escape to the alley below. Flash is waiting there for her.

"Good job Blondie. We don't make too bad of a team."She can't see his eyes behind the goggles but she assumes they reflect the smile on his face.

"I'll agree with you there Flash, but I work alone."

"You're on the Justice League, how is that working alone!?" He asks throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"It means I help if I'm needed, but other than that I work alone." She turns on her heal and heads down the alley to the adjacent one that runs towards her apartment. He doesn't follow, only watches the sashay of her hips as she walks away.

The next day Artemis headed back to the gym to pick of the converse she had left in her haste to get to the bank. Her black shoes sat parked outside the classroom with a piece of folded up paper in the left shoe. In neat block print it read "Give Wally a chance," underneath was his phone number and a smiley face. She grins and pulls her cell phone out and dials the number. He picked up after three rings.

"Keystone Mechanics, Wally West here, how can I help you?"

"Wally West? Wow your parents must have really hated you."

"I'll have you know lady that my parents love me very much and I had a healthy upbringing!"

"Settle down there Wally, I was just kidding. I actually called to take you up on your offer."

"My offer? Wait, who is this?"

"It's Artemis," she heard choking on the other end, "from self defense."

"Yeah I remember, frankly I don't think I could ever forget you. You threatened to kill me." Artemis let out a shaky laugh and picked up her shoes and headed for the doors. Outside it was clear and warm, the sky full of big white fluffy clouds.

"I'm sorry about that; I've been told I have anger issues." She carried her shoes in one hand and heads towards where she was almost positive she had seen a mechanic on her drive into the city.

"No, it's totally okay." He smiled and looked out the office window at the police car he had abandoned. "So this offer, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I'm here at the shop, its noon, and I'm pretty hungry." Artemis could see him in the little office running his hand through his hair, a smile playing at his lips.

"I know a really great place around the corner, best sandwiches in Kansas." He flipped on the sink in the corner and washed the black grease off freckled hands.

"That sounds nice."

"Well then I'll be out in a flash."


	3. Chapter 3

"So you're a mechanic then?" Artemis asked after swallowing her bite of what really was the best sandwich she'd ever had.

"Technically," he said through his mouthful of food, he swallowed, "I'm a police mechanic. I work on the squad cars, and the occasional fire truck."

"That's pretty cool," Wally beamed with pride, and took a sip of his soda, looking out the window as he did so. "You have some-"

"What?"

"Right by your ear, you have some-" Wally blushed and grabbed his napkin to wipe it off. He kept looking up at her and inkling his eyebrows, asking if he'd gotten it yet, and she'd just laugh and shake her head. "Just let me do it," she stuck her napkin in her water and took his face in her hand and turned it so he was facing the window, and wiped away the offensive smudge of grease. "There," she whispered pulling the napkin away.

He turned back to look at her, her hand still holding his face. His green eyes darted to it and she pulled it away, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Sooo, Artemis, what brings you to Keystone other than a job?" Wally asked breaking through the silence that had swarmed them.

"Gotham was getting a little too crowded for my taste."

"Gotham? Wow, and now I know why you know how to kick ass." She looked up from the table where she had been playing with the salt shaker and shook her head.

"No, that would be because of my father."

"Oh. So was he just protective, or more of a drill sergeant?" Artemis let out a short laugh.

"More the latter, it was an interesting childhood to say the least."

"I'm sorry," again silence settled around the two. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she played with the hems of her shorts underneath the black and white tiled table. Her chest rose and fell deeply several times before she lifted her eyes to look at him.

"So Mr. West, why are _you_ taking my class?" Her teasing tone stressing the 'you.'

"Mr. West, really?" She nodded, earning a small chuckle from her red headed companion. "Well, when I was a boy-"

"It's to pick up chicks isn't it? How's that working out for you stud?"

"Well you're here aren't you?"

"Touché, although I wouldn't categorize this as date." He raised this eyebrow up at her in a skeptical manor.

"And what, pray tell, would you call this Ms-"

"Crock, and I would call this lunch. However if you were to ask me out to dinner," she said under hooded lashes with a sly smile present on her face. He gave her a little chuckle, reaching under the table with his long arms to grab her hand from where it sat on her knee.

"Miss. Crock," he whispered running his thumb over her knuckles, "would you please accompany me to dinner this evening?" His eyes never left hers as he made his inquisition, his sparkling green spheres penetrating her own stormy clouds.

"Why Mr. West, I can think of nothing better to do tonight, but as it is nearing two we must part ways."

"Oh? Got another date?"

"Actually," she paused to take in his stunned face, "a friend of mine is delivering my motorcycle for me." He sat there for a moment, stunned.

"You own a motorcycle?"

"Why is that so surprising?"

"It's not, it's just-" he cuts of searching her face with a smile playing on his light pink lips. "So what kind is it?"

"Well it's forest green, super pretty, god shut your mouth I'm just kidding. It's a Honda DN-01, has a v-twin engine, and runs like a dream." She had this far away look in her eye as she continued to talk about her baby, her hands flying about excitedly, and he was pretty positive right then and there that he loved her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Zatanna you are a god send," Artemis gushed as she ran her fingers over her glossy dark green bike that was sitting next to the curb in front of her apartment building. She had a feeling she didn't have to fear, as she did in Gotham, that someone would come along and hotwire her bike or steal her tires.

"I know," her tall raven haired friend responded from where she sat perched on the brick steps. She stood after a moment and walked to the doors, her heals clacking loudly, "come on Arty, we have work to do."

"I resent telling you that I have a date this evening," but she stood and pulled out her keys and threw them up to Zatanna.

"Oh really?" Her friend countered as they walked up the two flights of stairs and into her apartment. "Does that mean you don't want me to tell you what I found out about him?"

"You didn't"

"I did, and you can thank me later."

* * *

"Dude, I need your help." Wally said into his cell-phone as he opened the door to his apartment on the first floor. His, much like Artemis' wasn't that fancy; with a regular sized kitchen (with an extra large fridge) a nice sized living room, one large bedroom, and one and a half baths.

"With what, I need details." Wally pulled out sandwich fixings from the fridge and set them on his small table in the middle of the room.

"I have a date." There was silence on the other side of the phone as Dick walked across the Bat-cave to the large monitors.

"With Artemis?" Wally grunted a yes through his mouthful and heard Dick on the other side typing away. "Last name?"

"Crock."

"You sure you want me to do this Wally? What if it's bad?"

"I'll deal, just do it Dick."

* * *

"Full name: Wallace Rudolph West," Artemis let out a little chuckle. "He grew up here in Kansas in Central City, Keystone's sister city. Went to MIT and got his bachelor's degree in Engineering." Zatanna paused as she skimmed ahead for more useful information. "He took his high school to states in track and field, and he was on his college track team."

"So he's in shape." Artemis said with a smirk. "I bet he'd give your little friend a run for his money."

"Little friend? I'll just let Nightwing know that's how you refer to him off duty. We'll see how many times he pairs you up with Flash-boy."

"You wouldn't dare." Zatanna sent her a smirk over the top of her laptop and continued reading.

"He has a strained relationship with his parents and-"

"How can you know that?" Artemis interrupted.

"Because I may or may not be using League resources to look up your boy toy. Anyways, he lived with his father's sister and her husband for a year during his senior year, and he's-"

"Okay that's enough; I have to get ready Zee."

"But Arty!" Zee waved madly at her computer screen but Artemis just stood up and shut it with a smile. "Fine, but I'm helping you get all dolled up."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she responded with an eye roll as she sauntered down the hall to her bathroom.

* * *

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was Wally. But I don't think Batman's database lies." Wally sighed and slumped down onto his couch, his head hitting the back with a soft thud.

"Sportsmaster, and Tigress?" Wally asked, his voice strained.

"Yeah," Dick took a pause to let his words wash over his ginger friend. "Wally this doesn't mean anything, you're not your family and she's not hers."

"But what if she is Dick, what if this is some terrible convoluted plan, and she makes me love her with her feminine wiles and then she just kills me!"

"Then it will be a terrible loss, and after a brief mourning period Bart will become the new Flash." Wally let out and animalistic growl and laid his head in his hands. "Dude come one just go out with her, if not because he like her, but because he want to collect intell on her and her "convoluted plans."

"God, I gotta go man we're supposed to meet in an hour. I'll call you if she tries to kill me."

"Just try and act normal Wally, I'll talk to you later." Dick hung up quickly and let out a laugh that he had been holding in during their whole conversation. He only stopped when his phone began ringing (it was playing Do You Believe in Magic.)

"Hunk-Wonder! You are never going to believe what just happened."

"Artemis asked you to help her get some info on her date didn't she?" Zee's tinkling laugh was answer enough. "The same thing just happened with Wally, he's pretty positive that she's going to kill him during dessert."

"This is going to be great. How about dinner tonight to make a plan?"

"Sounds good beautiful, I'll see you in a little bit."

* * *

Wally stood outside the restaurant adjusting a readjusting the buttons on the sleeves of his shirt nervously. His nervousness was a mixture of fearing for his life, and trying to not make a fool of himself in front of Artemis.

He heard her before he saw her; the roaring of the engine as she whipped around the corner, her blonde hair flying behind her from under a green helmet. She was sheathed in a black leather jacket, and dark denim pants, and boots with heels that went on for a mile.

Artemis came to a stop in front of him, a wide smile present on her face. She dismounted her bike and pulled her helmet off, shaking out her long hair, and turned to him.

"Hi," she said brightly before laughing at his stunned expression. His green eyes darted back and forth between her and the bike before settling on her and giving her a shy smile.

"You look," he paused as she unzipped her jacket revealing a flowy dark green tank top, "wow." She blushed deeply and returned his smile.

"You don't clean up so bad yourself." Her own eyes raking over his lean form. "So are we going to go in or just stand here admiring each other?" She asked with a smirk her eyes meeting his own.

"I'm quite fine with just standing here," Wally replied. When his stomach growled a second later she raised an eyebrow at him and grabbed his hand pulling him inside.


End file.
